


Ink and Stars

by sleepy_sphinx



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Logan has a wheelchair, Logince - Freeform, M/M, My First Fanfic, Roman and Logan are both huge nerds, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 04:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18402983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepy_sphinx/pseuds/sleepy_sphinx
Summary: A Steampunk Logince AU about two boys who follow their dreams... and fall for each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, and welcome to my fanfiction! This is my first time uploading a fic to the interwebs so hopefully it won't be garbage! One thing before we start, there is a small bit of spicy language in this fic, and this first chapter features some bullying, but i don't think anything too triggering happens. Anywho, please enjoy this fluffy Logince steampunk AU!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, and welcome to my fanfiction! This is my first time uploading a fic to the interwebs so hopefully it won't be garbage! One thing before we start, there is a small bit of spicy language in this fic, and this first chapter features some bullying, but i don't think anything too triggering happens. Anywho, please enjoy this fluffy Logince steampunk AU!

Logan knew better than most that the list of advantages to being stuck in a wheelchair was remarkably short. Oh, after the accident people tried to put a positive spin on his situation— _“Your arms will get really strong!—I mean, that chair looks awesome though, right?—You get discount tickets to the cinema!”_ But Logan knew that none of these made his situation even slightly less annoying. Still, there was something oddly satisfying about the way people on the busy sidewalk would part like the Red Sea to make way for him. He rolled along the unpleasantly bumpy cobblestone path, careful not to knock into the cart of a top hat-wearing street vendor selling sweets for a few dollars. A tall woman with a bronze-and-green prosthetic eye gazed at him quizzically, and a green parrot on her left shoulder tilted its head in a similar manner. He bypassed a group of students from his school, one of which was showing the others clustered around her her new mechanical arm ( _“It’s made of real platinum, and it has, like, six different settings! God, the amputation was_ so _worth it!”_ ) and finally skidding to a stop at the street corner, near a yellow sign marked “TROLLEY.” The tall metal pole the sign was mounted on was covered with posters— for psychic readings, political campaigns, and the upcoming hot-air balloon festival. Logan parked parallel to the sign. He reached behind his chair and into his backpack, pulling out a sheet of math homework and a silver pen that was made of the same material as his wheelchair. The math problems were easy—well, maybe not objectively easy, but Logan had no problems admitting he was above average intelligence. He finished the sheet in a matter of minutes.

His eyes darted up to a large clocktower in the distance. If the trolley came on time, and it typically did, he should only have to wait for about ten minutes. He leaned back, watching the people pass by. His attention was suddenly caught by a boy walking quickly down the street. He was reading a book, and was so engrossed in the story that it looked like the copy of _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_ had sprouted legs. Logan rolled his eyes. He wasn’t a huge fan of Lewis Carroll—his writing was an illogical mess of wordplay and imagery, with no rhyme or reason in sight. Furthermore, the idiotic kid who was reading the book clearly wasn’t looking where he was going. In fact, it looked like he was about to walk right into open traffic—

“Hey, watch out!” Logan yelled. The boy stopped short mere inches from the curb. A tarnished gray automobile sped past, the breeze it created ruffling his reddish-brown hair. He spun around abruptly, gripping his book tightly in his hands. Logan took this opportunity to examine the kid more closely—his school uniform was rumpled, and his tie was a bright crimson (It was school policy that all students must wear the same uniform, but each could choose the color of their tie—Logan’s was a calming navy blue). He wore a bronze circlet with tiny red gems, a variety of rose-gold bangles on his left wrist, and one shining golden medallion around his neck. His eyes were light brown, and he had a few freckles dotting his face. The kid had evidently gotten over his shock and was now laughing nervously.

“Oh gosh! Thank you so much! You probably just saved my life, Logan.” He smiled, his cheeks turning bright pink.

Logan raised one eyebrow. “...Sorry, how do I know you again?”

The kid blinked, blushing an even deeper shade of red. “I’m Roman… Roman Shields? We go to the same school…”

“That makes sense, considering there’s only one major school in the city, and we’re wearing the same uniform,” Logan replied smoothly. Evidently, he had been right in his assumption of the kid’s— _Roman’s_ — obliviousness.

“W-well yeah, I mean, what I _meant_ was-” Roman took a deep breath, starting over. “We share four classes. I sit behind you in science?”

“Ah, you’re that kid who's always doodling in the back of the class.”

Roman smiled. “Yes, that’s me!” He looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. The two stood in uncomfortable silence for a bit, Logan’s eyes darting to the clocktower every few seconds. _Only seven minutes to go…_

“Hey, what do those dots mean?” Roman said suddenly, gesturing to the side of Logan’s wheelchair.

Logan sighed. “It's a depiction of the night sky—or, what the night sky _used_ to look like before the smog layer formed, and all this light pollution. Those “dots” represent stars.” Roman nodded, but he was still staring at the side of the chair quizzically.

“What are the lines, then?”

“That’s a constellation—a group of stars in the night sky that make a shape, typically an animal or mythological figure. The one on my chair is my personal favorite, Lyra. It represents a lyre, which is like a tiny harp.”

Roman examined the engraving, this time looking critical. “It doesn’t _look_ like a lyre, more like a weird fish...Wait, but aren’t stars, like, floating around in space? So how do people know where they’re going to be every night?”

Logan sighed, still eternally pissed off no one taught astronomy anymore—just because space can’t be _seen_ didn’t mean they weren’t important. Still, he tried his best to answer Roman’s question.

“This is going to be an oversimplification, but the basic reason is that stars are really far away, and it takes their light a really long time to travel to earth. So they’re moving, but you can’t tell because the light shows up in the same place—it probably will for a really long time. It’s actually quite interesting _—_ ” Logan cut himself off. He knew that when he got started on a rant, especially one about space, he could talk for hours, and he didn’t want to bore the kid to death. He looked up at Roman, who had stopped examining the side of his chair and was now looking straight at him. He actually looked genuinely interested in what he had to say; although Logan had never been amazing at reading people, and it was probably just self-projecting his own interests onto another person. Abruptly, a loud noise rang out through the entire city—the chiming of clocks, signaling that it was now 3 pm. Roman practically jumped in the air with surprise.

“Oh gosh, it’s three already? I am going to be late, and then my mom’s gonna kill me… Sorry, Logan, I have to go, but maybe you could tell me more about this sometime?” He flashed Logan with a bright smile, and suddenly Logan felt a bit self-conscious. He pushed his glasses into a more secure position on his face.

“...Yeah, I mean, if you’re interested—”

“Great!” Roman said giddily, cutting him off. “Now I _really_ have to go! Have a great day!” Roman waved, before turning the corner and disappearing behind a building. Logan sighed, alone again. He removed his glasses, studying the way the artificial yellow light bounced off of the rims and wondering if it would be any different if the real sun was hitting them. But wondering what life was like when the sky wasn’t covered in a layer of smog was useless—he could just as easily wonder what life would have been like if he wasn’t in a wheelchair, or why in hell he had said yes to Roman’s proposition when he knew he hated people. So he polished his glasses and put them back on, resolving not to wonder about anything for the time being. There were a little more than four minutes until the trolley would come.

“Well, well, well… what do we have here?” Said a chilling voice from behind Logan. _Damnit._  Sighing, he spun his chair around to face the three kids standing before him. They were the typical schoolyard bullies—the leader, the “smart one,” and the brawn. Logan had never bothered to learn their names.

“If it isn’t our good friend Wheelie!” _Wheelie_ was a terribly uncreative insult, and at this point it had been used against Logan so many times he barely felt the sting. Even still, the boys snickered, clearly proud of themselves. _Idiots._ “How’s the math homework coming?”

“How about we skip the pleasantries,” Logan suggested, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. He passed the math sheet into the greedy hands of the bully.

“Oh, a gift? For _me?_  Thank you so much!” He crumpled the sheet into a ball and stuffed it into his backpack. Logan winced.

“Careful!” He cried a bit too loudly. The bully looked at him the way a cat looks at a mouse—eyes narrowed, with a wide grin.

“What’s that you said?”

Logan took a deep breath in. Trying to keep his tone pleasant, he started over. “I need to turn that in tomorrow, so I would _prefer_ it if it wasn’t so crumpled.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Logan knew they were a mistake. The leader was still staring at him with cruel satisfaction, and the brawn was twisting a black, gear-shaped stone in a ring he wore as if to bring attention to the fact that his fists were massive. Logan gulped.

“What do you mean? This was a _gift,_ Wheelie. Don’t you know it’s rude to return a gift?”

“I think it’s even more rude to steal someone’s math homework!”

Logan’s stomach fell. _This_ cannot _be happening!_ He thought desperately. However, any hopes that the voice was some sort of freakish hallucination were immediately dashed when he saw the bullies reactions. Brains looked nervous—Brawn looked excited, probably because it was more fun to beat up kids who weren’t already in wheelchairs. The leader just looked confused.

“Who the hell are you?” He asked, dangerously calm.

“I’m someone who actually has _human decency_ .” Roman Shields said, finally stepping forward enough so that Logan could see him. He was standing strong, like some sort of action hero. He held his book in his right hand, and for a second Logan thought he would start hitting the bullies with it. But he didn’t—he just stood his ground, as if his mere presence would be enough to scare the bullies away. Logan facepalmed. _IDIOT!_

“Oooh, looks like someone’s come to your rescue, Wheelie!” The bully glanced down at the storybook in Roman’s hand. “You have a _Prince Charming_ now, huh? Here to save the day?” To Logan’s confusion, Roman seemed to swell with pride when the leader called him a “prince charming.” He looked the bully straight in the eye defiantly.

“I’m just trying to do what’s right,” He said boldly. “Now give him back his homework!”

“Or you’ll what?” The brain said in a squeaky voice, clearly mocking him.

“Or I’ll… I’ll…” Because of course Roman didn’t have a plan. What did Logan expect, honestly? As Roman thought, he saw the leader give a slight nod to the brawn. Logan knew what was about to happen, and even though he assumed it would not be pleasant, he simply couldn’t look away. The brawn pulled his fist back, And Roman’s eyes widened in surprise. There was no use calling out to him this time.

 _WHAM!_ The fist hit him square in the side of the face. Thankfully, Logan didn’t hear anything break, but the hit was clearly painful. The hopeless “prince” collapsed to the floor like a poorly designed house of cards. Tiny drops of crimson dripped onto the floor from where the bully’s ring had cut a gash in his cheek. Roman whimpered quietly, like a scared dog. Still, he put his palms on the ground, as if preparing to stand up again.

“Stay down, you idiot!” Logan muttered to him through clenched teeth. Thankfully, Roman seemed to hear him—or else just realize that a scrawny art student would be no match for the Goliath who had just attacked him. The three bullies laughed again, and Logan saw Roman squeeze his eyes shut.

“Some hero,” The leader taunted. “Couldn’t even survive one punch!”

“There’s more where that came from…” The brawn said, balling his fists again. But the leader held out his hand.

“Eh, he isn’t worth your time. Besides, I have math homework to do. Have fun with your prince, Wheelie,” With that, he turned and sauntered away. The other two followed him, although it was clear the brawn was reluctant to leave. Logan glanced at the clock again. The trolley would be here in less than a minute. Thank god, because Logan _really_ wanted to get out of here.

“Are they gone?” Roman asked, his voice muffled. Logan sighed.

“Yeah.” With that, Roman picked himself off the ground with surprising speed. “Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Logan huffed in response, because everything finally made sense now, right? The way Roman was so eager to have a conversation about stars, of all things, the way he had rushed to the defense of someone he barely knew, the way he had grown with pride when he was called Prince Charming… Logan shook his head, annoyed that he hadn’t seen it before. “No. Just stay away from me.”

Roman looked up, confused and a little hurt. “...What? What did I do wrong?”

“I know your type, ok? You like feeling good about yourself, doing the right thing so you that you can say you were someone’s knight in shining armor.” The trolley was coming down the tracks now; Logan pushed up his glasses again and twisted the chair around so that he was facing the street.

“Hey, wait a second! I was just trying to help! I’m really sorry, but-”

“Well, you _didn’t_ . I had the situation completely under control. But now, those three probably hate me even more, and they’ll probably target you as well. You just made everything worse.” Logan pretended not to see the way Roman physically winced, like his words were more fists raining down on him. There was something… _cathartic_ about wielding his anger like a weapon, instead of burying it like he normally did. It gave him a cruel sense of satisfaction. The trolley was here, anyway. _Finally_.

“Please, I’m sorry, I was just trying to—” Roman’s words were now cut off by loud screech of the trolley door. The machine had a mechanism to turn the steep stairs into a slightly-less steep ramp. Normally, the noise annoyed him, but now he was thankful. He rolled himself up the ramp, before turning one more time to address Roman. The kid looked absolutely crushed. Guilt stabbed Logan like a knife, but he quickly converted it to rage.

“I don’t need help from anyone. Especially not from _you._ ” With that, Logan rolled down the aisle, not daring to look back. He took out a fresh sheet of paper (he knew from experience to memorize the math problems in advance, just in case) and tried very hard to forget about the friend he didn’t have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One down, four to go! I'm having a really fun time writing this, hope you are having just as fun reading!
> 
> ALSO as i mentioned before, i'm very new to Ao3, so if anyone has any advice (ESPECIALLY ON TAGGING) please comment below! 
> 
> i really hope you enjoyed chapter one! Chapter 2 should be up sometime next week. It gets a lot fluffier, trust me. Have a great day! (or night, or afternoon, or whatever)
> 
> ~Alice


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo it's chapter 2!!! To be honest this one is probably my favorite chapter of the fic because fluffy moxiety is the best, and also Roman is a huge dork and i love him. Enjoy!

“...And that’s why I’m faking my own death, changing my name, and taking the next Zeppelin as far away from here as possible.” Roman said dramatically, concluded his summary of the events that had transpired yesterday afternoon.

“I guess that _is_ the only logical course of action—seriously, you blew it HARD. I got secondhand embarrassment just listening to that story.” Virgil responded, looking at him sympathetically with dark eyes surrounded by darker eyeshadow. The two friends were walking to the library to study for an upcoming science test. Roman rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t deny his edgy pal had a point.

“Your sympathy is appreciated. Do you think you could arrange to have roses at my fake funeral? And use the picture from last year’s yearbook—I actually managed to look decent.”

Virgil stopped walking abruptly. “Hey, when did I become party planner?”

“All you ever wear is black—you must know _something_ about throwing a good funeral.”

“Ah, common misconception: I don’t _plan_ funerals, I _cause_ them.”

Roman snickered. “Alright, Jack the Ripper. Come on, we’re almost there.”

 

Virgil barely had time to pull open the huge wooden doors of the library before a high-pitched squeal of excitement sounded from the other side of the room. Patton Patterson, Virgil’s boyfriend and living embodiment of a sugar high, was waving at the two students from across the library and completely disregarding the loud _SSSHHH_ coming from the head librarian. He was on a long metal ladder, shelving leather-bound books. Roman wasn't surprised to see him here– Patton practically spent all of his free time volunteering, and the library was chronically understaffed. And he had gotten over the fact that Virgil had somehow gotten a boyfriend before him a long time ago. It really didn't bother him– ok, maybe it bugged him a  _little,_ but Patton was the sweetest person on earth– absolutely perfect for Virgil.

By now, Patton had finished with the stack of books in his hand. “Be right over!” He stage-whispered at them. Roman saw him press a few buttons on the side of the ladder. Almost immediately, a chain reaction of whirring sent the ladder moving sideways along the rows of books until it was right next to them. Patton slid down the ladder (Roman heard Virgil suck in his breath—despite his harsh aesthetic, he was very protective of the people he loved) and kissed Virgil lightly on the cheek.

“Good Morning, Virge!” He said with a smile. Virgil turned red, and tried to hide his face in his hoodie—still, he was grinning ear-to-ear. “And Roman!" Patton continued, "Great to see you again! Hey, what happened to your face?”

Roman touched the bandage on his cheek, concealing the nasty cut he had received yesterday. He felt his cheeks warm up. Telling his best friend about the incident yesterday was one thing, but he didn’t know Patton nearly as well… and it was kind of embarrassing to admit he was punched in the face while trying to defend his ridiculously one-sided crush. “Oh, I tripped yesterday. It’s no big deal.” Roman said quickly. “And it’s great to see you too!” He bowed with a flourish, making his friends giggle. “But,” he said, noticing the way the head librarian was glaring at them. “Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere else?”

Patton nodded. “Of course. The group study room on the second floor is open, let’s head there!” Patton led the two others up a staircase, then through a maze of stacks and shelves of literature until he got to a bright blue door. He tugged it open, revealing a large room, almost like a cafeteria. But instead of eating, the groups of students were hunched over books, flipping through flashcards, and glaring daggers into their lazy groupmates. Patton sat down at a table near the front of the room, and the other two followed suit. As Roman bent down to grab a book from his backpack, he heard Virgil say, “Since I’m apparently a party planner now, I might as well tell you that you’re invited to Roman’s funeral.” Roman jerked upwards, bumping his head against the table.

“What do you mean? Is… is Roman going to die?” Patton sounded concerned. Roman straightened up (his position, not his sexuality) and placed the book on the table.

“I’m not going to die. I’m going to fake my death. There's a difference.” Roman said rigidly. _Pleasedontask whypleasedontaskwhyPleasedontaskwhypleasedontask-_

“Why?” Patton asked, clearly confused.

Roman began to blush, filling with regret. “N-no reason, I just-”

“The love of his life hates his guts.” Virgil quipped. Roman groaned, abandoning all dignity once the truth was out.

“HE DOES! I swear, I was only trying to help, but somehow it went really, _really_ wrong!” Roman slumped down in his seat. Patton glanced at Virgil quizzically. Virgil grinned again, leaning in conspiratorially.

“Ok, so you know Logan Ferro? That kid in the wheelchair, who moved into town in, like, fourth grade? Well, for the past two years, Roman has had the _hugest_ crush on him. Like, head over heels. His eyes were practically turning into hearts whenever he entered a room. It was hilarious.”

“Heartache is not amusing in any way!” Roman snapped. He lifted his legs onto the seat of the chair so that he was curled up into a little ball. Virgil didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, today he finally got around to having a conversation with him, and things were going great, but then some idiots tried to steal Logan’s homework or whatever. And Roman, blinded by love, decided to stand up to them. Which somehow got Logan offended? I don’t know, I think he just might be a di-” -Patton raised one pointed eyebrow at Virgil—“uh, diligent but flawed person. Who seriously isn’t worth your time, Roman.”

Roman groaned. “But things were going so well! I mean, the way his eyes just light up when he talks about something that excites him—I swear to god, his eyes are so deep and blue, they’re like sapphires! Like someone took out his actual eyes and replaced them with sapphires, it’s amazing!”

Virgil and Patton glanced at each other skeptically, then back at Roman. “With smooth pick-up lines like those, it’s a wonder all the gents don’t come crawling after you,” Virgil said sarcastically.

“It sounded better in my head, okay? But anyway, the point is  _we had a chance_. And then I had to go and mess everything up, and now he’s never going to like me.” Roman knew he was probably being overdramatic, but he buried his face into his knees anyway. Sure, he put up with the teasing, and even made jokes of his own — but none of that made the memory any less painful. _Crushes are stupid. Love is stupid. I’m so stupid_ —

A sudden hand on his shoulder made him jump. He looked up and saw Patton, who had evidently gotten up from his own seat. His hazel eyes were filled with sympathy, but his smile was warm. “Hey,” he said softly, “I know I don’t know you that well, but from what I’ve seen of you—and of course, what I hear from Virgil—you’re a pretty great guy, Roman. And if you weren’t trying to offend him, I’m sure he could find it in his heart to forgive you for… whatever bad thing you accidentally did.”

“Or you could stop pining over this asshole and find someone who actually _appreciates_ -”

“Language!” Patton gasped sounding like an offended mother. Roman snickered. Patton glared at Virgil (But it was a Patton-style glare, dissolving into a smile within seconds), before turning his attention back to Roman. “As Virgil said, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Or, if you really think he’s the one for you, you’ll just have to try again. Sometimes love takes a lot of determination—and a lot of time. Goodness knows I had to wait a while for Virgil to catch on that I was into him.”

“What do you mean?” Virgil asked, offended.

Patton blushed slightly. “Well, what I meant was… before we were dating, you didn’t always immediately notice my hints at affection right away-”

“You’re about as observant as a brick wall when it comes to love,” Roman said bluntly, glad that they were changing the direction of the conversation.

Virgil was still glancing wildly from Roman to Patton in utter disbelief. “What? No I’m not… am I?” Patton and Roman shared a knowing look, after which they both nodded gravely. “It was like flirting with bread,” Patton stated.

“Oh, come on, it couldn’t have been  _that_ —wait, did you say bread? Why am I bread?”

“Because I _loaf_ you very much!” Patton grinned widely. Roman groaned, and Virgil stood up to leave. “Wait, Virge, don’t go! I  _knead_ you!” Patton was cracking himself up now. “Without you, people will think I’m some sort of weir _dough_ !” Virgil didn’t seem convinced that the  _pun_ -ishment would end, but he still begrudgingly took his seat.

“Okay, okay guys, that’s all well and good, but we really have to study for this test coming up,” Roman said, his tone serious. Then he smiled evilly.  “We’d better stop _loafing_ around.” Patton squealed and high-fived Roman.

“Traitor,” Virgil grumbled, cracking open his book. “Alright, but seriously, let’s get down to business.”

 

The three had a (semi) productive study session for about three hours, and Roman felt confident that he at least wouldn’t fail the exam. Still, he wanted to give these two lovebirds some time to themselves for a bit—and, there was no use denying it, being so close to such a happy relationship was making him sort of jealous. So he fabricated some sort of excuse about his mom not wanting him to be late and bid his friends farewell. Soon, he was walking away from the library. He didn’t want to think about Virgil and Patton, studying together, enjoying a type of happiness he had never really felt, and he certainly didn’t want to think about Logan—the way those sapphire eyes had sharpened, scratching him hard, hurting more than any punch could. So instead, he focused on the way the fluorescent lights bounced off of his lucky medallion (although it hadn’t been very useful yesterday—Roman was considering revoking the title). The medallion was crafted from real gold, not like the rest of the jewelry he had accumulated over the years. It wasn’t terribly intricate; it was a flat metal disk, with a swirling pattern etched into one side. Roman wasn’t sure why, but it always reminded him of the sun. Not that he knew what the sun looked like, not really. He twisted the medallion in his hand, deep in thought. He had never really given much thought to the sky, having grown up in the smog-filled city where the sun and stars were practically invisible under the blankets of man-made clouds. But hey, it was hard to miss something you never had, right?

Logan, though… he had moved to the city from a fairly rural area. That probably explained his fascination with the stars. Crap, now he was thinking about Logan again. _Come on, you useless gay,_ he thought to himself, _The world won’t end because one boy doesn’t like you. Pull yourself together. And for the love of god, think about something other than Logan for once._ He was finally home, and he pulled open the lobby door of his apartment. The handle was silver and smooth, silver like the color of Logan’s chair, the one with the constellations on it… _Dammit!_ Roman made his way up the dark, slanted staircase to the third floor. Of course, the carpet just  _had_ to be the same color of Logan’s tie; the universe was just conspiring against him today. He used a dull gray key to unlock his door, making a beeline for his room. _Come on, come on, I need something distracting…_ Roman genuinely smiled when his eyes landed on his sketchbook. _That works!_

Roman had loved art since… well, since forever. It was almost magical how he could move a pen across a piece of paper and make something totally new, something totally fantastical It was like implanting his imagination into other people’s minds. And it didn’t hurt that he was really good—although it was as much ridiculous amounts of practice and dedication as it was natural talent.  He took out a pencil, sharpened it, then turned to a fresh page and began to draw. He knew subconsciously what he was making, but he was only truly aware of the little details of his picture—the sun shining off of a sword, a large scaly wing, a tiny castle in the distance. It was like someone had shone a spotlight on the paper and pencil; everything else, all the heartache and jealousy and feelings of failure faded into the blackness. His spirits lifted until they were above the layer of clouds and among the glittering stars. This was truly his happy place.  

Soon the sketching phase was done, and he could begin to cover the sloppy lines in bold, dark ink. Roman drew his black pen like a sword and prepared for battle. He didn’t move from his desk for hours, until he was  _finally_ finished with the picture. By that time, the artificial lights outside were dimming. He flicked on his own lamp with a satisfying  _click_ before turning his attention back to the now-complete drawing. He spread it out on his desk. What he saw made him smile.

He had drawn a scene straight from a fantasy novel—a prince in battle armor with a bright sash, battling a ferocious dragon. In the top left corner was the sun, a swirling golden sphere. The dragon was ferocious, but the prince was standing his ground—determined, strong, a champion despite the odds. He was everything Roman wanted to be. Roman chuckled. Maybe those bullies had gotten to him—but hey, Virgil was right. And so was Patton, in a way. He wouldn’t give up on Logan—Roman didn’t think he could ever do that—but he could always keep his eyes open. Or not. He didn’t need a plan. He just had to keep going and trust that the future would suck less than the past.

“Roman, honey? Dinner’s ready!” His mom called from the kitchen. Roman suddenly remembered that he hadn’t eaten lunch at all today. His stomach grumbled demandingly.

“Be right there!” Roman called with a smile. He couldn’t exactly be expected to fight monsters on an empty stomach, now could he? He stopped for a second to adjust his ruby circlet— _A crown,_ Roman thought with a smile. A crown for a prince. He exited his room, filled with the hope that tomorrow would be a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the bread puns were probably my favorite part of this chapter... you have to admit i was on a ROLL  
> (I REGRET N O T H I N G)
> 
> Good news y'all, I'm on break this week, so the next chapter might come out before next thursday! oooor i'll procrastinate and play Doki Doki Literature Club instead, but Thursday is the absolute latest! again, thanks for reading!  
> -Alice


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like it's finally time for this ship to set sail! this chapter was rushed a little bit (turns out i was actually very busy over break o_o) so i might go back and edit it once the whole fic is over. either way its fun! have a great time reading!

“...Which we know because of archaeological evidence found near—Ah, Mr. Ferro, glad you could finally join us.” The social studies teacher said dryly as Logan entered the classroom, his face red from exertion. He had wheeled as fast as he could, but he was still late.  _ Figures _ .  

“Sorry,” He mumbled. The teacher sighed. 

“It’s fine. Just have a seat, so that I may resume my lesson.” The teacher clearly didn’t realize his error, and Logan wasn’t in the mood to point it out. The day had started with oversleeping (neither of his dads had wanted to wake him up, because  _ rest is important!  _ or whatever), and he had to take the long way to get from math to social studies to avoid that stupid kid who had stolen his homework and started this whole mess, making this the second time he had been late today. Logan hated being late. He sighed and rolled his way to a table near the back where there was a free space. The person next to him scooted out of the way, almost too quickly. He looked a bit familiar—Logan stopped short.  _ Of course, because I thought this day couldn’t get any worse, right? And it just did.  _

Roman didn’t make eye contact with him as he moved out of his way; he just pushed his stuff to the other end of the table. Logan gulped and pulled his chair into position. The guilt that had been pricking him all weekend like some sort of shame-woodpecker was back with a vengeance. No matter which way he  spun it, he had been a total ass to Roman. He had acted irrationally, taken out his anger on someone who didn’t deserve it, on maybe the one person who he might have been friends with. 

And now… well, he’d have to apologize? Logan began to feel his face go red just thinking about it. The problem was… Logan really didn’t like admitting he was wrong. He knew his aversion was illogical and shallow, but that didn’t make apologies any less uncomfortable. Besides, he wasn’t sure Roman would even accept the apology. Being treated like garbage by the person you had just gotten  _ punched in the face for  _ probably wouldn’t just be fixed by a simple “sorry”. 

Why did he even care, anyway? Roman looked fine now—instead of taking notes, he was doodling, surprise surprise, and he didn’t seem to notice that Logan was there. Logan huffed growing more annoyed by the second. He didn’t typically care about people enough to lose sleep over them—what was so different about this one boy? Was it the devastated look in his eyes when Logan had entered the trolley? Or had it started before then? Was it possible that he was starting to—

_ No.  _ Logan thought firmly, cutting himself off. He was just guilty. That was normal. He would apologize today after class. Roman would accept it—or he wouldn’t. Either way, Logan’s conscience would be clear. This whole ordeal would finally be over. He could stop thinking about—

“MR. FERRO!” The teacher’s voice finally reached Logan’s ears. He straightened his back, trying to regather some dignity, but he could feel his face heating up. The class shared a collective chuckle (Logan noticed Roman didn’t join in). “Maybe it would help you take notes if you had a notebook?” 

“R-right. Sorry, sir.” Logan reached to the back of his chair to retrieve the notebook in question. He could think about Roman later—right now, he had to focus on class. 

And indeed, Logan was able to clear his head and begin to take his usual orderly, professional notes… for about three minutes, before his traitorous mind wandered back to Roman. This time, however, he focused not on what Roman had done, but what he was currently doing. Logan had always assumed that doodling was just some sort of mindless entertainment when class got too dull, but what Roman was doing was the opposite of mindless. He had a leatherbound sketchbook placed discreetly over his notebook, and his black pen was darting across the page with firm determination, graceful motions that were clearly not notes. At first glance, the picture that was forming on the page looked like a normal, although incredibly intricate human heart—but as Roman added details, it became covered in tubes, gears, and wires, like a cyborg. The drawing was incredibly lifelike and detailed. Even Logan, who didn’t understand art at all, could see that Roman had talent—but that wasn’t the only thing that had caught Logan’s attention. It was the way Roman’s light brown eyes stared into the page as if it held the secrets of the universe. How his hand moved with such purpose, such focus, such fluidity. It was hypnotizing—though Logan was sure to pay attention to the teacher, he found himself glancing at Roman again and again. 

“Alright, everyone.” Logan glanced away as the teacher began to address the class directly, “Since we are nearing the end of the first term, I am going to assign you a research project. You must research one ancient civilization of your choice, then write a paper explaining what important developments the civilization and how it has affected life today. You will be working in pairs, and-” The teacher paused, and the students held their breath—“You may choose your own partners.”

The pupils immediately began to communicate silently amongst themselves, using stares and subtle head-nods to confirm partnerships. Logan watched Roman carefully, but he only glanced up from his sketchbook for a few seconds before returning to the heart.  _ Ok, this is your chance to make it up to him,  _ Logan thought.  _ DON’T SCREW IT UP.  _

“You have about ten minutes left in class to choose a partner and begin the project, please use it wisely. And keep your noise levels down.” The teacher concluded. With that, the classroom devolved into meaningless chatter. Before he had a chance to rethink it, Logan tapped Roman twice on the shoulder. Roman turned his head, his eyes widening with surprise. Before he could get a word out, Logan began to speak.

“Hi. I just wanted to, um, apologize for what happened yesterday, ok? My attitude was uncalled for. Anyway, I thought maybe we could be partners. If you were willing. Also, your heart is very pretty,” Logan said quickly. Roman blinked. 

“My… my heart… is pretty?”

Logan blushed. “I meant… the heart that you drew just now. Very detailed. Good job.” The words came out awkwardly, like stones sinking to the bottom of a river. Roman’s cheeks were pink.

“Right. Of course.” Then, a bit softer, “So… you don’t hate me?”

Logan cleared his throat. “No. No, I don’t. I apologize if that was the impression I gave off. I… made a bit of a mistake.” 

Roman smiled. “Wow. Uh, thanks. I mean, apology accepted? And I would love to be your partner.” His eyes shined. They looked almost golden in the light. “And… I’m glad you liked my drawing!” 

Logan nodded. “It was quite impressive how focused you were.” 

Roman smile grew, becoming almost dreamy. “Yeah… I don’t know why, but drawing has always been like… I don’t know, an escape? Yeah, that sounds right—it’s like I go into my own personal safety bubble, and it’s just me and the paper. It’s relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Almost like magic!” Roman exclaimed, before seeming to snap out of whatever spell he had been under. “Sorry. That made more sense in my head. I don’t-” He cleared his throat, seemingly self-conscious—“I don’t know why I’m telling you these things.” He stared down at the table, nervously drumming his hands against the metallic surface.

“No, I think I get it.” 

Roman looked up, surprised. “You do?”

Logan nodded. “I’ve never really found the right words for it… but that’s basically how I feel when I look at the sky— well, when I used to. When I was younger. A lot of people are intimidated by the infinitesimal size of this universe, but I think it’s amazing. There’s so much possibility, so much potential—there might even be life on other planets, how crazy is that? And then there are these huge, flaming balls of gas, and the light they give off travels millions upon millions of miles just to get to this space rock, so that we can have a glimpse of what might be beyond.” Logan paused briefly to take in a huge breath, relishing how Roman’s golden eyes never left his face. “I love how there’s so much that we know about stars, and so much that we  _ don’t.  _ I love how they change color and grow as they age, and how they burn for billions of years, and how they existed before any one of us, and how they will exist for years to come. It’s just so fascinating…” Logan trailed off, becoming lost in his own thoughts. The words had flowed out of him like water—which was strange, because typically he was a pretty closed-off person. He hadn't even noticed the mistake he had made earlier on… fortunately, Roman didn’t seem to either. Logan blinked. Why did he care so much? Why was he acting so strangely? Why was he so uncertain about this situation? Why were those golden eyes making him feel so-

Suddenly, Roman’s voice pulled him back to reality. “I wish I could see them,” He said softly. His eyes were filled with wonder. “I bet they’re beautiful.”

Logan smiled. “Yeah. They are. You know, most people think I’m wasting my time with this—stars aren’t visible, and space travel is pretty much impossible, so I guess they’re right, but…” Logan trailed off again, not quite sure how to finish. There really wasn’t a logical reason why he has this hobby. Still, Roman nodded, excited. 

“That’s what people say about my art!” Logan felt a twinge of guilt again— _ he  _ had thought Roman’s drawings were a waste of time until a few minutes ago. “But I like doing it, and if I get really good, other people will like it, too.”

“You’re already really good,” Logan said matter-of-factly. Roman blushed again, his face a weird mixture of a frown and a smile. He glared at the mechanical heart. 

“Yeah, well… there’s always room for improvement.” 

Suddenly a bell sounded. “Class dismissed!” The teacher called out over the rabble of students hastily putting away their supplies. Logan and Roman looked at each other, bewildered. 

“Goodness, class is over already?” Roman said, sliding his notebook into his scarlet backpack (It was covered in swirling gold designs, Logan suspected that Roman had put them there). He kept his notebook out tucking it under his right arm. “We hardly got any work done!”

Logan nodded. He would have typically been at least slightly annoyed at the blatant waste of time, but talking with Roman had been very enjoyable. Still, this project was important. “We’ll have to set aside time outside of school to make up for lost time,” Logan said matter-of-factly. This was a bit of an understatement; with enough determination and focus, the two could probably complete the project within the allotted class time, but it was always good to get ahead with school projects like these. Besides, Logan decided, he enjoyed Roman’s company. 

Roman looked down at his desk. “Maybe… if you’re free after school today, we could go to the library?” He seemed nervous, and Logan didn’t really know why. Either way, he didn’t have any plans this afternoon. 

“Sound’s good.” Logan began to wheel his way to the next class. “I guess I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah! See you!” Roman sprang up from his seat, headed in the opposite direction. He had an odd way of walking, like the souls of his shoes were made of rubber. Logan smiled as he watched him. Walking wasn’t something he typically thought too much about  He was glad as wheeled his way to his next class. The rest of the day seemed to pass by in a blur. Before he knew it, he was rolling to the main entrance of the building, waiting for his prince to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Logan being a huge nerd is probably my favorite thing right now~
> 
> chapter 4 will be posted on thursday! Thanks for reading!
> 
> -Alice


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! So chapter four is going to be a bit shorter than the others, but that's ok because chapter five is the longest one! Very excited for the end! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Roman darted his way through the crowded hallway, making a beeline for the main entrance. His head was spinning like a pinwheel—fast, rainbow, and filled with joy. He felt that his heart might burst out of his chest from pure excitement alone. He was going to the library with _Logan._ Roman had to stop and remind himself that this wasn’t even a date, that they had only had about two genuine conversations, and that the odds of Logan being even slightly interested in him was extremely low… still, the logic wasn’t enough to sink his mood. He smiled when he saw Virgil, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed. He was clearly trying to wait out the crowd—Virgil wasn’t a huge fan of tight spaces. He was wearing his black-and-purple hoodie over his school uniform (This was very much against dress code; Virgil very much didn’t care)

“Virgil! You are not going to _believe_ what happened!” Virgil opened one eye, reminding Roman of an annoyed cat. Still, Roman kept talking. “Patton was right, Virge! You can’t give up on love!”

Virgil blinked, confused. “Ok, Ro, slow down. What exactly happened?”

Roman took a deep breath in, before starting in on his story. He only stopped once or twice along the way to prevent himself from asphyxiating. “-Andthenhesaid 'I guess I’ll see you then’ and Virgil ‘THEN’ IS _RIGHT NOW!!!_ I AM FREAKING OUT BUT LIKE IN A GOOD WAY!!!” He finished, accidentally shouting near the end.

Virgil blinked again, but this time he frowned. “Some friend you are. I owe Patton five bucks now!”

Roman laughed. “Because nothing said ‘loyal and supporting friend’ like betting _against_ my hopes and dreams coming true.”

Virgil shrugged in response. “Hey, you gotta admit it was a bit of a long shot… but really, congratulations. You’re living every high schooler’s dream. Just… be careful.” Roman sighed. “Hey, I’m serious!” Virgil continued. “I mean, he was kind of the worst, and I know he apologized, but maybe you shouldn’t let him off the hook this early? Even if it is true love-” Virgil cut himself off abruptly as he spotted a silver wheelchair rolling towards the two.

“I guess we’ll just have to find out!” Roman said optimistically, pretending his legs weren’t suddenly made of jelly.

Virgil finally cracked a smile, winking at the prince. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” he murmured, before slinking off into the crowd.

“Hello again,” Logan said, sounding impossibly calm. _Of course he’s calm, you idiot,_ Roman thought to himself, _He’s just going for a study session with a friend—with an acquaintance. This means nothing to him._ Roman swallowed down the negative thoughts and greeted Logan. “Hey! Ready to get going?”

Logan nodded, and the two began to make their way to the library. For what felt like a millennium, the two didn’t speak. Roman had absolutely zero ideas on what to say that wouldn’t make him sound like a complete idiot. But he had to say something, right? Was it better to stay in the awkward silence or take a chance by speaking up? But what would he even say? _Hi Logan, I know we only just officially met but you’re super smart and you have really pretty eyes, please date me?_ He was getting embarrassed just thinking about it. Maybe he could bring up the project? Like, an idea on where to start? But Logan was such an intellectual, and he didn’t want to wreck his chances by suggesting something bad—oh, who was he kidding, he was useless at academic study projects. Logan would find that out soon enough, right? And then he’d never want to even associate with Roman. God, this had been so much easier this morning, when he thought Logan didn’t like him! Why was talking to boys so _hard_ -

“So, that kid you were talking to,” Logan said, bringing the silence to a merciful end. “His dad owns the junkyard near the edge of the city, correct?”

Roman sighed, relieved to finally have something to say. “Yeah, that’s Virgil! He’s been my best friend since, like, forever. We actually used to hang out in an abandoned junk truck, actually. It was like our fort.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Sounds dangerous…”

Roman smiled self-consciously. “I guess it was, a little bit. So, how about you?” Roman said, capitalizing on this topic of conversation. “Who are you’re friends?”

Logan broke eye contact. “I don’t really have any close friends,” he said icily. He smiled tightly as he added, “I know that it might be hard to believe the introvert nerd in a wheelchair isn’t the most popular kid in school.”

“Hey, you’re a really cool person! Honestly, I think everyone else is just intimidated by how amazing you are.” Logan rolled his eyes. “But hey, now you have at least one!” Roman continued brightly. Logan still didn't make eye contact, but there was a warm smile on his face. Roman breathed a metaphorical sigh of relief, glad he was able to save the conversation. Before he knew it, the two had reached the library.

 

Roman was actually surprised at how easy it was to work with Logan. He always knew that Logan was incredibly smart, but he also had an incredible focus and drive—which was doubly as important, considering Roman’s tendency to get distracted by pretty much everything. Logan was, of course, more than capable of completing the project by himself, but he didn’t object to Roman’s presence, which he counted as progress. Roman wasn’t exactly sure how he contributed to this ragtag team of theirs—maybe he helped Logan relax? Perhaps he offered creative solutions to problems? But Roman’s contributions didn’t really matter—what was important was that Logan liked spending time with him. And soon they were spending more and more of it together—starting with the school project, but eventually becoming more frequent and less necessary. After a few weeks, Roman could safely say the two of them had become friends—and that his huge crush had only grown with time.

“I have to make a move—do something super romantic, something... _big_ ,” Roman said, lying upside down on Virgil’s lacey black bedspread. He stared at the jumble of copper, silver, and gold piping on his friend’s ceiling, as if solving that maze would lead him to the solution of his current predicament.

“Great,” Virgil responded. He was sitting at his own desk and attempting to be productive despite his friend’s chronic lovesickness. “Now how about you do some math homework or at least talk about literally anything other than Logan for once?”

“Oh, come on, I don’t talk about him _that_ much-”

“Yeah, it’s not like you’ve mentioned him five times today alone.” Virgil’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Because that would be _ridiculous_.”

Roman blinked, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “Yeah… you’re probably right. I’m sorry,”

“Aw, don’t sweat it. I’m sure I was just as annoying when I first started dating.”

Roman straightened himself out on the couch. “Thanks, Virge.” He used his notebook as support while he solved his math homework.  For a moment, the two worked in silence.

“Hey,” Virgil said suddenly, “Maybe you can take him to the hot-air balloon festival? I mean, me and Patton are going, it could be like… a double-date, or whatever.”

Roman sighed. “I suppose so… but the balloon festival is so generic!” Roman protested, ignoring Virgil’s eye-roll. “I want to actually _do_ something, you know? Something personal!”

Virgil sighed, twirling his black quill-pen in his fingers. “Ok, then… what does Logan like?”

“He really likes stars, but I can’t give him the stars… or can I?”  

“Ok, stars are made of fire, so you literally _can’t_.”

“Actually, they’re made of ionized hydrogen and helium gas,” Roman said, not looking up from his homework.

Virgil stared at him. “Oh my god, Logan’s turned you into a nerd.”

Roman blushed but didn’t deny it. “Still, maybe there’s a way to get him to _see_ the stars…” Roman cut himself off with a deep inhale. “I GOT IT! I KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO DO! I’ll need a bit of your help… and a ton of paint, maybe a welding iron… yeah, this is doable! I’ve got to go, I have a lot of work to do! I’ll see you later Virgil! You’re a genius!” Virgil sat in stunned silence as Roman hastily piled his stuff together. He briefly thought of demanding an explanation, but he knew from experience that it would be fruitless– Roman was an unstoppable force when excited. It would be easier to just wait and see what he had planned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next Thursday for the grand finale!!! and thanks again for reading :D  
> ~Alice


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S THE FINAL CHAAAAAPTER *guitar riffs out of existence*  
> Just a quick heads up before we start!!! there's some smooching in this chapter!! if that bothers you, please be warned! It's not graphic or anything, i just didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. but that's all i have to say for now, so enjoy the epic and slightly predictable conclusion!!!!

“Hey, is there any way for you to get to the roof of your building?” Roman asked Logan during class one day, completely out of the blue. His voice shook slightly as he spoke, and he was nervously rubbing his golden pendant.

“There’s an elevator… why?” Logan questioned as he studied Roman’s face. He definitely seemed on edge today… “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s great! I just… I have a surprise for you, okay? Just go to your roof at… say, nine tonight? I’ll meet you there.”

Logan blinked. “I’m sorry? Why do you want to meet on my roof? And how on earth are you going to get up there?”

Roman smiled mischievously. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise, would it?” Logan opened his mouth to pester more, but he was cut off by the ringing of the bell. “See you tonight?” Roman asked. Still confused, Logan nodded. “I’m free tonight. Still, an explanation would really help-” But Roman had already packed his things and was running towards his next class. Logan rolled his eyes. This was exactly something Roman would do. But what was he planning? 

Again, the rest of the day passed by without much consequence. That day was the day of the balloon festival. Logan had briefly entertained the notion of asking Roman to watch the balloons with him. He had been before, and he hadn’t particularly enjoyed it—it was extremely noisy and crowded, and hard to maneuver. But maybe it would be different with a friend? The festival was actually a pretty popular spot to go on dates—not that he’d be doing that. Even if he wanted to date Roman (WHICH HE DIDN’T), his new friend certainly wouldn’t say yes. Roman was romantic, charismatic, and well-liked by most of the school, and Logan just…  _ wasn’t _ . A relationship would never logically work. Logan wasn’t even sure why he dedicated so much thought to it.  

Anyway, it really didn’t matter, because Roman had gone full sphinx on him and invited him on a mystery date on a rooftop for some reason. Logan was a bit miffed at Roman for leaving him with such a cliffhanger, although also secretly pleased at the chance to deduce his reasoning. Stronger than both of those emotions, however, was the sheer, overpowering curiosity. Roman could  _ maybe _ climb up the roof? Roman wasn’t involved in sports or anything, but he was stupidly determined, and Logan honestly couldn’t think of any other way Roman could get onto the roof. So the question no longer became  _ how,  _ but  _ why.  _ Why a rooftop? Why so late? What was he planning on doing? That was a question Logan had no idea how to answer. So, the only thing left to do was wait. 

 

Logan soon discovered that he  _ hated  _ waiting. Strange, because he typically thought of himself as having a pretty patient demeanor. He tried not to let any of it bother him for the rest of the day, he really did—but the afternoon seemed to stretch on for an eternity. He found himself in the rickety copper elevator to the roof before the clocks had even struck eight. He was still wearing his school uniform—he nervously traced the crest that was sewn onto the right side of his vest. He listened to the quiet yet persistent sound of his ticking watch.  _ Any minute now… _

Suddenly, Logan spotted  _ something  _ in the distance. A strange silhouette floating in the sky. At first, he didn’t realize quite what it was, but he was soon able to realize it was a hot-air balloon. It was quite surprising to see one, out so late at night… Logan squinted at the shape, which was slowly gaining clarity. The fire was illuminating the balloon, which was intricately painted with a swirling, starry pattern. It reminded Logan of a painting he had seen titled “A Starry Night”; however, the style was very different. In fact, it was almost familiar… Logan pondered this as the balloon drew nearer. He could now make out a short, thin figure, somewhat clumsily piloting the balloon. Logan’s jaw dropped.

“Roman?!? What on earth—why—how did you—what?!?!?!” Logan yelled. Roman smiled brightly, leaning against the side of the basket. “Good evening, Logan!” he said with a flourish. “I’ll explain on the way up! Let me land first!” The balloon bobbed up and down a bit, getting closer to the roof. Logan wisely backed up as the wicker basket clunked against the ground. In the orange light of the fire, Logan noticed a silver seam in the side of the wicker basket, coupled with a few rusty gears. Logan watched with wonder as Roman fiddled with some sort of machinery in the basket. One portion of the wall swung downwards, creating a ramp to the basket’s interior. 

“I used the trolley entrance as inspiration when I built it—well, I didn’t build it myself, Virgil helped a lot… but I did paint the sail! Is sail the right word for a balloon? Eh, it doesn’t really matter,” Roman leaned against one of the walls. “So… uh… wanna fly with me?” 

For a moment, Logan was frozen in place. He was still so very, extremely confused. He had a billion questions for Roman, a billion reasons why he should not get on this balloon—and yet, he felt himself rolling towards him. How curious. The ramp wasn’t that steep, and Logan rolled up without much difficulty. He glanced around the rather crowded interior of the balloon- the steering wheel was styled similarly to one on a pirate ship, and the various panels and pressure gauges along one side glowed orange. Above him, a web of silver piping transferred the heat from the fire into the balloon. The balloon’s mechanics were actually pretty interesting, but Logan’s mind was a bit preoccupied at the current moment. It was only after he had steadily parked himself into the basket that he began to ask questions. 

“Where did you even get a hot-air balloon? And how did you learn to fly it?” 

“Well, the actual basket part is a rental—they actually rent out really small ones for the festival, how adorable is that?—and yes, the modifications weren’t  _ technically  _ allowed but I’m giving it a free upgrade, they should be thankful. Anyway, I painted the balloon part, and then Virgil and I just switched the two! And don’t worry—I took it out for a test run during the festival today. So it’s very likely that we won’t die.” The drawbridge-like-door clicked shut, and the balloon was ready to take off. 

“I’ve… I’ve never been in one of these before…”  Logan said, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. 

“Don’t worry, it’s super fun!” Roman said, adjusting some dials near the center control panel. The flames shot upward, and the hot air lifted the balloon into the air. Logan felt his stomach lurch as the basket left the ground. 

“Uh… how high are we going to go, exactly?” Logan said nervously. 

Roman glanced at him, suddenly concerned.  “If you’re scared of heights, I can land this thing right-”

“No, no, I’m fine. I’m great.” Logan cut him off. He smiled tightly, although his hands were gripping the side of his chair so hard they were starting to ache. 

Roman glanced upwards, leaning precariously out of the basket. Logan resisted the urge to yank him back in. “We won’t be where I wanted to take you for a few more minutes,” He said calmly. “If it helps, you can close your eyes.”

Although he didn’t want to seem nervous, Logan complied. Logan didn’t generally like the whole “out of sight, out of mind” deal, but in this case, it was helping. Roman helped even more by adjusting the conversation away from their current predicament and onto a topic they both could enjoy—constellations. Logan would share interesting facts about stars and the history of famous astronomers, and Roman would butt in with some of his favorite myths about stars and constellations—“They’re actually super interesting! And I wouldn’t have discovered them if it wasn’t for you.” 

Logan smiled. Although his eyes were shut, he could picture Roman’s expression—he always had a sparkle in his eyes when he told stories. Logan took a deep breath in, savoring the crisp night air—but something was wrong. There was a foul smell in the air, and it tickled Logan’s throat. He coughed and heard Roman doing the same. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t open your eyes yet, ok? Trust me—everything is fine.” 

Although part of Logan was in full-on Panic Mode, he found Roman’s voice comforting. He did trust Roman. And although he was an airhead, he wouldn’t do anything if it was dangerous. They were probably just flying over one of the city’s factories, or something. Still, the smell wasn’t great, so he kept his mouth shut for a while. Roman didn’t say anything else, either, but he did walk nearer to Logan. His presence was strangely comforting. Soon, the smoke cleared. Logan heard Roman gasp, and he tensed up a bit. 

“Open your eyes,” Roman whispered, his voice filled with awe. Logan did—and suddenly all of the air was forcibly removed from his lungs. If he hadn’t been sitting down, he would have probably collapsed from the sheer shock of it all. He was surrounded by stars. 

“You were right, Lo,” Roman whispered again, like someone who had entered a great cathedral and was afraid to soil the place with his voice. “They are beautiful.” 

Logan barely managed a nod. The stars were everywhere, like diamonds inlaid in a black velvet sky. They seemed a million times brighter than when he had seen them in his old home—and there were about a million times as many. It was probably because the blanket of smoke worked both ways, keeping the light pollution away from the sky. Logan became lost in the beauty of the sky. The universe was so old, so vast, so bright, that it made Logan and everyone else seem infinitesimal by comparison. Some people may think this disturbing or nihilistic, but Logan found it fascinating. It meant that the world was filled with possibility. Just thinking about how the light had traveled trillions and trillions of miles just to reach this rock floating in space, and how millions upon millions of coincidences had come true just to lead to this moment—Logan just felt so lucky to be alive. 

For a while, there was a kind of magical silence. The only sound was his own heartbeat and the quiet breathing of the boy next to him. Logan’s thoughts took a swift right turn into the basket. He really should thank Roman, for all of this. He turned his head. Roman’s eyes were wide—they really looked like flecks of gold in the light—and he seemed enthralled—who wouldn’t be, after seeing stars for the first time! Still, Logan noticed that he kept glancing at him, then quickly looking away. As if he was just as interesting as the stars that surrounded them. Which wasn’t at all true! Unless… 

Logan suddenly became aware of two facts—facts that seemed obvious in hindsight. The first was pretty simple; Roman Shields was undoubtedly in love with him. The kid had practically built a hot-air balloon for him. For  _ him _ . And now that Logan thought about it, Roman’s affections were everywhere; why he was so flustered when they first met, why he hung on his every word, his selfless stupidity that earned him an interesting gear-shaped scar (which still hadn’t faded all the way.) The shocking part, though, was Logan’s other discovery. Which was that he absolutely loved him back. Logan didn’t quite know what he should do with this information. But there was something he wanted to do—and it was his only plan, so he might as well. 

“Hey, Roman,” he said casually, breaking the fragile silence. “Lean down here. I want to tell you something.” 

Roman chuckled, sounding almost nervous. “Er, can’t you just tell me from up here?” He sounded strangely reluctant, but Logan didn’t let this deter him. Still, Roman had a valid point. Logan hesitated for a moment, before responding. 

“It’s a secret.”

“I doubt anyone could hear us all the way up here, Lo-” 

“Oh, you are an  _ idiot _ ,” Logan said, feigning annoyance. Before Roman could do anything more stupid, Logan grabbed the boy’s crimson tie and used it to yank him down to his level. He took half a second to relish the pure confusion in Roman’s eyes before pulling him into a kiss. 

 

Throughout the balloon ride, Roman had been nervous. Excited, sure, but nervous. After all, tonight was the night he was going to ask Logan to date him—it had to be  _ perfect _ . He had practiced what he would say and how he would say it about a billion times. Still, as soon as they were actually among the stars (Which were probably the most beautiful things that Roman had ever seen—the sky reminded him of spilled ink, and the stars were tiny diamonds), Roman found himself surprisingly tongue-tied. Logan’s silence wasn’t helping—although he seemed to be enjoying himself, who knew what he was thinking? Roman felt himself becoming more and more nervous. He was afraid he might vomit into the cloud-layer, which would severely dampen the romantic mood. He wanted desperately to get closer to Logan, but he was afraid he would say something stupid—or worse, lean in and kiss Logan right there and then. And that would be a disaster. So Roman simply stood in the silence, stalling. Until Logan did the unthinkable and kissed  _ him.  _

Roman was on fire. Roman was light as air. Roman was spinning out of control, shooting through the stratosphere. A star going supernova, exploding in wild, out-of-control waves of pure energy and passion. He couldn’t breathe and he didn’t want to. He was going to explode, he was going to burst, he was going to melt, and it was the greatest sensation of his life. Because if he was going to die, he wasn’t going to do it alone. Because Logan was right there with him, their bodies pressed together, their heartbeats synchronized. And what was better than being killed by a kiss?

Eventually, though, they separated, a unanimous decision. Logan’s eyes were closed, his breathing rapid. There was a wide smile on his face. “Woah,” He breathed. 

“That was…”  _ Exquisite? Invigorating? Life-changing?  _ “...really cool,” Roman said lamely. Clearly, his brain had short-circuited. If he hadn’t just been slain, he would have died of embarrassment. 

But Logan just nodded in excitement. “It was.”

“Wanna do it again?” 

Logan opened his stunning blue eyes. “I would.”

This time, Roman leaned in willingly. And he was almost certain that he had died, and had ascended to the afterlife, surrounded by stars, embracing an angel. 

 

There was another stretch of silence after they were done, but this one wasn’t awkward—it was peaceful, like night should be. Roman sighed and watched Logan watching the stars. His eyes were darting wildly around this time, as if searching for something–

“There!” he said suddenly, pointing at a cluster of stars up ahead. 

“What? What is it?”

Logan grinned. “It’s Lyra, see? Just over there…” 

Roman squinted at the stars in front of them. Sure enough, the stars formed a familiar shape. “It still looks like a weird fish to me…” Logan laughed and shoved him playfully. 

“Come on; help me look for more!” 

The two fell into a familiar rhythm; connecting the dots, discussing the legends behind them, and altogether just enjoying each other’s company. Neither kid was really aware of the passage of time– it was more like they were trapped inside a picturesque illustration at the end of a fairytale. Roman would have been happy to relish in his happily-ever-after– well, forever after, but the spell was suddenly broken by Logan’s watch chiming lightly, the bell sounding harsh and out of place. It startled both of them. 

“Oh god. It’s twelve.” Logan said, suddenly snapping back into reality. 

Roman brushed a wave of hair out of his eyes. Although he knew it was late, he was just so filled with joy—and better yet, his familiar charisma seemed to have returned thanks to his conversation with Logan. “Good morning, my love,” he said sweetly. His words turned Logan bright pink. 

“My-my dads are going to murder me,” he stammered, fidgeting with his tie. 

Roman sighed. “Yeah, same—but I’d say it was worth it.” 

To his relief, Logan nodded. He gazed out at the sea of stars longingly. “I wish we could stay up here forever,” he said wistfully. 

“Well, why not?” Roman replied jokingly. 

“Well… we’d need to go back down for food.”

“I don’t need food—I can just feed off of starlight and kisses for the rest of eternity.” 

Logan laughed. This time, it was Roman’s turn to blush. “Heh. That sounded a lot better in my head.”

“I thought it sounded pretty good outside of your head, too,” Logan replied. Roman felt himself begin to smile as Logan continued. “And while I doubt that rounds of making out will keep us from starving to death… there can’t be any harm in staying up here for a few more minutes…” 

Roman nodded vigorously. There was a city beneath him, an entire world of people and machines and reality waiting below. And soon, they would have to face it—to go back to school and smog and teasing and stumbling and all the other horrors of high school. But reality could wait. For now, they were in a world of shining stars. For now, they were with each other. For now, they were happy to sit together and soak up the starlight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END!!!!!!!  
> Once again, thank you so much for reading! As I said before this is my first time actually publishing anything on Ao3, and my experience has been AMAZING! thanks so much to my space nerd friend for helping me with the star facts, and to everyone who left kudos!!! I really hope you enjoyed this fic!!!  
> ~Alice

**Author's Note:**

> One down, four to go! I'm having a really fun time writing this, hope you are having just as fun reading!
> 
> ALSO as i mentioned before, i'm very new to Ao3, so if anyone has any advice (ESPECIALLY ON TAGGING) please comment below! 
> 
> i really hope you enjoyed chapter one! Chapter 2 should be up sometime next week. It gets a lot fluffier, trust me. Have a great day! (or night, or afternoon, or whatever)
> 
> ~Alice


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